Vacation For Two: Camping Joys
by BTM707
Summary: Link and Zelda decide another vacation is long overdue. What's happening this time around? A day of camping! Oneshot, fourth installment of the Vacation series.


_No, I'm not dead; here it is, the fourth installment of Vacation For Two! I'll be completely honest: I didn't think I'd ever get this finished. There were so many distractions that popped up in my life whenever I sat down to write this; this marks the first story/chapter in my life that I've not just sat down and written in one go. What I get for writing the week I graduate. But I was determined to finish this before I graduate. Which is tomorrow (er, today, seeing as it's past midnight), so you're welcome. In response to a few fans' requests, I've tried to make this one longer, deeper, and more 'serious' in parts. I have no idea if it'll work in this type of story, so you'll have to let me know. I've also added a more detailed look into Link's past, Alfonzo's past, and Alfonzo and Link's connection. I've never really expanded on the history of these two, so I decided to take a look at that this chapter. I want to portray that Alfonzo is really a caring sort of father-figure, not just some creepy snoop. Because of the inclusion of all this though, the start is sort of slow. If you can just bear through the first few paragraphs it'll get back into that formula you all know and love. I also enjoyed sticking in all sorts of references to past games, particularly Ocarina of Time and Wind Waker because they're two of my personal favourite games. I also have _no_ idea what people cooked over an open fire back in medieval times, so I'm modernizing a bit. I mean, they have trains; they can't be that far off from us. Okay, sorry for that novel; I just missed you all, and I'm really sorry it took so long for this to come out. Again, I don't know how this'll seem: parts of it I really liked, but other parts just felt really forced. So read, review, and let me know what you guys think! Enjoy, and I'll see you next vacation!_

**_Vacation For Two: Camping Joys_**

The morning sun was just rising over Aboda Village, yet the small town was already alive and bustling. As children ran around in the grass while waiting for breakfast to be made, Alfonzo emerged from his house and strolled down the walking path. He wasn't in any particular hurry; the day was so young and he enjoyed the smell of the fresh morning air. Although he was planning to visit his former apprentice's house, he felt that it could wait a few minutes.

Alfonzo walked down to the beach and stood in the sand, watching the tide lap gently against the damp shore. He stared out at the ocean and inhaled softly, breathing in flecks of saltwater that sat in the air. His grandfather had come from the sea and first set foot on this very beach when he and his crew arrived at what would later be christened New Hyrule. His grandfather had served as first mate under Captain Tetra, and was one of the founders of the great kingdom. Aboda Village had been the first town the crew had built, and the house his grandfather had built by hand, alone, eventually became Alfonzo's. When he was little he always loved to hear his dear grandpa's stories about his life as a pirate, and all the great battles he and his friends had participated in. He had always held Link, the mystical Hero of Winds, in a very high regard; one that Alfonzo hadn't understood the reason for when he was younger.

The man's thoughts turned to the young blonde boy of legend. He had seen pictographs of the famous hero in his youth, and his resemblance to Alfonzo's apprentice was uncanny. It seemed that they had to be related, though Alfonzo doubted it. Princess Zelda was the descendant of the Hero of Winds; Link had been found in a basket out on the shore one night, clutching a note with only his name written on it. Niko and Alfonzo had agreed that the former would raise the young boy, while the latter would school him when he was older. Link grew up neither knowing nor caring where he came from; in his eyes, Alfonzo and Niko were his family, and that was all that mattered.

As he thought about Link, Alfonzo's eyes snapped open to the echoing sounds of a crash. He turned his head in the direction of the noise and found himself looking straight at Link's house. Raising a brow in curiosity, he headed for the house, where frantic banging could be heard. Alfonzo arrived at the doorstep and, knocking once on the door, entered.

His eyes traced around the room, noticing nothing out of the ordinary, save for his student standing at a mirror and brushing his perpetually messy hair. Alfonzo rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him. "_What_ was that terrible racket?" he asked sternly, staring at the back of the boy's head. Link jumped and spun around, hand shaking.

"Oh! Alfonzo, good morning!" he said with a forced smile. Alfonzo only stared at him, waiting for an answer to his question. "I, uh… I dropped my brush," the boy replied, holding out his hairbrush and laughing nervously. Alfonzo simply glanced at the brush before bringing his eyes back to Link, before finally turning and opening the door once more. "Wait, are you leaving?" Link suddenly asked.

"There was something I was going to ask you, but I'll save it till later," Alfonzo replied, though he followed it up by asking, "Why? Something wrong?"

Link only shook his head, and Alfonzo shut the door. As soon as he had though, he dropped his stern composure and ducked down to peek through the keyhole. Link was obviously hiding something; he had always been a poor liar. Alfonzo was determined to find out what it was Link was keeping a secret, though he had a pretty good idea he knew what it was about.

* * *

><p>As the door shut, Link breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had almost ruined everything he had been planning for days; he had figured he was close enough to his goal and had let his guard, as well as his fingers, slip. Fearing someone would come to investigate the noise, he had shoved everything, albeit noisily, into his wardrobe and tried to find an alibi for the sound. Before he had even thought of anything though, Alfonzo had knocked on the door, and he had time to only grab a hairbrush and jump in front of his mirror. He could only pray that Alfonzo had bought his pathetic lie; he had never been able to lie very well.<p>

Link counted to ten to make sure no one else was going to come into his house, before heading over to his wardrobe and throwing open the doors. The inside was a mess, but it all seemed to be intact. Link smiled and began to pull everything out.

* * *

><p>Alfonzo watched as Link began to pull several poles and a long tarp out of his wardrobe. It took him a few seconds to realize what it was he was looking at. <em>Is that a… tent?<em> Alfonzo blinked. _He doesn't camp, so that pretty much guarantees- _Without even bothering to finish his thought, Alfonzo tore for his train. Hopping into the control car, he sped off for Castle Town as fast as he could.

He only wished there was a way to contact Teacher and Russell ahead of time. They were going to have a _serious_ talk about their plans for the day. Alfonzo cracked a smile at that thought. Like it'd be a real challenge; they all agreed that they would drop anything at the sign of another date. They had all gotten quite curious at what the Royal Couple did when together, and had decided after their little trek into the Fire Realm that they would "accompany" them whenever they next went out. _Looks like we're going camping,_ Alfonzo thought with a grin, as his train sped on down the Spirit Tracks.

Alfonzo loved camping.

* * *

><p><em>Later that day…<em>

Link coasted down the tracks at a leisurely speed, enjoying the scenery of the countryside. He had his and Zelda's next big date planned, and he had a feeling the Princess was going to love it. To his knowledge she had never been camping, so the experience was sure to be an interesting one, not to mention safe.

After Zelda's chance meeting with disaster on the mountains, Link had scolded himself for not choosing something safer to do. She could have easily died from her fall, impaling herself on a rock if the height alone hadn't finished the job. Link had sworn to himself that something like that wouldn't happen again; the idea of camping had kind of spawned from this thought. It was fun to do, with the added bonus of being safe. The only danger would be if some monster appeared and attacked them, though Link had brought the Lokomo Sword along just in case of that.

The Spirit Train pulled up to Castle Town's station, and the boy jumped off and headed for Hyrule Castle. He basically ran across the market square and through the castle until he arrived at the Princess' study. He knocked quickly, and proceeded to jump with shock as a soft, "Yes?" came from behind him.

Link spun around and found himself face-to-face with Zelda, who was trying to hold in a fit of laughter. Link rolled his eyes. "That wasn't funny," he said, though a smile was tugging at his lips as well. Zelda snorted and gave him a gentle hug. "It was cute! Who knew that a hero, someone who's fought the Demon King and won, could be scared by something as little as that?" Link blushed slightly as he processed what she had just said. "I never once said that Malladus didn't scare me, he was so freaky!" he told her. "I only put on a brave face because you were there," he added, and Zelda smiled sweetly.

"You're so thoughtful," she told him, and gave him a soft but deep kiss. Link's eyes widened and asked when she pulled away, "Whoa. What was that for?"

"I just missed you," she said simply, and Link grinned before returning a kiss of his own. A guard walked by and coughed, though "royal-boyfriend" was not-so-obviously thrown in. Link pulled away and turned even pinker, while Zelda only giggled and pulled her "royal boyfriend" into her study.

"So, what're we doing today?" the Princess asked eagerly as she sank into a chair. "Well, I thought that since we've somehow ended up in every other Realm for a date, we might do something in the Forest Realm," Link told her with a teasing smile. Zelda just stared at him, waiting for him to announce what they were going to do. The boy just stood there though, enjoying the suspense.

"Hint?" Zelda asked finally. "Tent," Link replied with an even bigger grin. The girl's eyes widened. "Camping?" she asked, to which Link nodded. She let out a scream and tackled him into a hug.

"I've never been camping before, this is going to be so much fun!" she exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. Link just laughed and replied, "Well, we can leave anytime. I have everything packed in the Spirit Train already." Zelda blinked in confusion. "Already?"

"Hey, I've had this planned for a while, alright? I've been packing and preparing for pretty much the last week," Link replied. Zelda's eyes widened. "It took a whole week?" she asked in shock, but Link shook his head. "Only because I was trying to do it without Alfonzo noticing. It took a lot longer because of that," he said with a wink, and Zelda laughed. "Alright then, let's go!" she said excitedly. She grabbed a bag and ran out of her office.

"What's in the bag?" Link asked as he ran to catch up with his very eager girlfriend. "Spare clothes," she replied simply. Link just stared at her. "You keep a bag like that just sitting around?" he asked in disbelief. The Princess nodded. "It seems to be helpful whenever we go out," she said, sticking her tongue out teasingly. Link only laughed, and they ran out of the castle into the gleaming sunlight.

* * *

><p>Alfonzo, Teacher and Russell slowly crept out from behind the door. They had been listening outside Zelda's office when the door had suddenly flown open, and the two kids had run out and down the hall. Russell was rubbing his nose tenderly. "I think we need a new hiding spot," he stated.<p>

"One time they didn't give us enough warning to get away, that's not _that_ bad," Alfonzo replied, holding his forehead. Russell snorted. "You're only saying that because you only got hit in the head. Take a shot to the nose next time and we'll see how you feel," he countered with a grin, and Alfonzo laughed.

"Now children, break it up," Teacher pretended to scold, and they laughed even harder. "The longer we sit here and talk, the longer they get away from us, so I suggest we hurry. Like them, we can leave at any time." Teacher turned to Alfonzo and added, "By the way, I've never seen anyone pack a train so fast. That was quite incredible." Alfonzo shrugged. "Didn't want to lose them due to packing time, that's all. Plus, you and Russell were busy with that whole "eating breakfast" thing. Now, let's head out." Alfonzo and Teacher began to head down the hall, but Russell was lost in thought. "Russell, what's up?" Alfonzo asked when he noticed they were a man short.

"I was just reminiscing. The last two times those two went out together, we ran down to the armoury at this point. It just seems weird not doing it now," the captain answered. Alfonzo pondered for a moment. "We could just do it anyway, for old time's sake," he finally said.

The three of them looked at each other for a moment before Teacher finally exclaimed, "Let's DO IT!" So they tore down the hall toward the armoury, simply to keep with tradition.

* * *

><p>Link guided the Spirit Train through the Forest Realm as Zelda beamed beside him. She couldn't believe that she was finally going camping, something she'd always wanted to try since she was little. Being a princess meant you couldn't get out much, so Zelda had had to put that dream on hold. Now though, she was shaking with excitement; she couldn't wait until they arrived, wherever that was.<p>

In truth, she had no idea where they were headed. Link had only said that he had found a great spot at some point that week, and Zelda simply took his word for it. As they drove on though, Zelda had a slight feeling she could take a fair guess as to where they were headed.

She found herself correct as Link took them into the forest for which the Realm was named. Any sound was instantly cut off from them as they rode on in silence. It was quite darker here; even the sun couldn't penetrate the think trees, and Zelda frowned. How they were supposed to enjoy this was anyone's guess, but she trusted Link enough to keep quiet and merely watch.

Soon enough, they came out into a small clearing where the trees receded enough from one side of the tracks for a decent-sized campsite. Link slowed the train to a stop, and Zelda hopped onto the grass. Taking a look around at the beautiful landscape, she couldn't help but smile widely. The trees around them made a sort of wall as if giving the appearance that they were completely isolated; if the Princess had been blindfolded during the journey she'd have no idea where they currently were. The trees also parted somewhat here, allowing for enough sunlight to see clearly, yet still offering ample shade if they so chose. It was, in Zelda's opinion, the perfect campsite.

Turning to Link, she said in wonder, "This is beautiful! I've never felt so close to the country before, this almost seems magical." Link laughed in reply. "Yeah, I like it too. It's just nice and relaxing, listening to the wind blow through the trees. And this place is quite rare to come across since this forest is so big; the odds of someone coming across us are pretty much non-existent."

Even as he finished those words, another train could be heard fairly well, travelling at what they assumed was a track adjacent to theirs. Zelda laughed and shrugged. "Oops," she replied, and Link just shrugged as well, grinning at nature's contradiction. "Actually, my grandfather used to tell me how he and Grandma had their own legend when they were kids: there was a boy garbed in green who saved the ancient land of Hyrule from the King of Evil. The legend says that he was raised in a forest and protected by the Earth Spirit," Zelda explained. Link raised a brow. "Earth Spirit?"

"Yeah, he was the guardian of the forest or something," Zelda replied, waving a hand. "It was a long time ago. The point is, maybe that's why we feel so at home in this forest!" Link stared at her, before breaking into laughter. "Y'know," he finally choked out with tears in his eyes, "the way history goes, I wouldn't even be surprised if that turned out to be the case." He continued to laugh while Zelda, rolling her eyes, let a smile escape onto her lips and went into the passenger car. Shutting the door, she quickly changed out of her dress and into a pair of shorts and a matching shirt. Placing her dress carefully over a chair, she breathed slowly. _Much better, _she thought, feeling much more comfortable.

Taking a look around at all the stuff that was packed, she finally decided to pick up the bag holding the tent. "Do you know how to set that up?" Link asked, rejoining her as he wiped the last few tears out of his eyes. Zelda looked at the tent, then back at Link, before putting the bag into the boy's outstretched arms. "If you want, you can bring that crate out," Link called over his shoulder as he left the car.

Zelda found the crate her boyfriend was referring to, noticing it was filled with food and cooking utensils. Grimacing, she bent down and prepared to haul it up with all her strength. She gritted her teeth and pulled, and screamed as she fell over with the crate on top of her. "Oh, it's not near as heavy as it looks," she heard Link call. Feeling foolish, she picked the crate back up and followed Link's tracks, blushing with embarrassment from her little mishap.

* * *

><p>About an hour later, the camp was finally set up. Zelda collapsed into a chair, exhausted. She swore that even climbing that mountain hadn't been this much work. Link placed his chair beside hers and sat down as well, noticing as he did so that the sky was turning a bright orange colour. "It's starting to get dark out," he informed Zelda, who hadn't even noticed. "Do you want to eat something? I don't know about you, but I haven't eaten since this morning." Zelda nodded, noticing for the first time the hunger pains that were flashing in her stomach. "Yeah, I haven't either, actually. What can we eat?"<p>

Link flashed a grin as he gestured to the crate he had opened with his sword earlier. "I stopped by the castle yesterday to sweet-talk the cooks, as usual. They gave me a cucco, all prepared to simply cook and eat," he explained triumphantly. He walked with his head held high over to the edge of the camp where they had collected wood and, grabbing some logs, marched back to his homemade fire pit. However, his ego prevented him from observing the rock in his path, and he walked straight at it. Zelda was about to call out when Link's foot struck it, sending him rather ungracefully to the ground, the logs falling loudly out of his hands in the process.

Zelda stared in surprise for a moment before bursting out in a fit of laughter. Link moaned and picked himself up. Looking around, he shook his head and dusted himself off. "Guess I had that coming because of before," he said with a sheepish look before gathering up the wood. Zelda only continued to laugh as Link set to work on making a fire for them to prepare their meal on.

* * *

><p>Alfonzo looked up and listened carefully. He had heard a loud noise, and was unsure if anything was wrong. It was shortly followed by laughter though, so he breathed a sigh of relief. He sat back down and continued tending to his own fire.<p>

"What was that?" Teacher asked, looking at him with curiosity. Alfonzo shrugged. "Just some noise. Link probably dropped something, I heard a girlish laugh afterwards," he answered calmly. Teacher thought for a moment, then went back to eating his meal. He and Alfonzo were currently camped out in their own clearing right next to the young couple's. "Close enough to hear, but not close enough to be seen," Alfonzo had stated when they arrived. They had followed the Spirit Train from a distance since it left the castle, and had eventually come to stop in a quiet break in the trees not far from the kids.

Being experienced men, they had camped many times and had taken no time in setting up their camp. Alfonzo was currently tending to the fire he had built, while Teacher had prepared the food. They had been relaxing all afternoon, each deciding that they needed to take time off more often. They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the smell of the trees and the sound of the crackling fire.

After a half hour of casual conversation, Zelda's mentor finally asked, "When's Russell getting back?" He looked around the camp, noting that the captain had been gone for quite some time. Alfonzo snorted. "No idea, he's been gone for ages. How long does it take to get firewood, anyway?"

"Not only that, it's dark out," Teacher added, glancing up at the starry sky. As he said that, Russell's green image appeared out from the trees, his arms overfilled with firewood. "There, this should last us a while," he said, breathing heavily. "I hope, at least, my arms are about to break." He quickly walked over to the fire pit and roughly dropped the wood beside it. It tumbled into a heap, and they all cringed as a sharp sound rang out. "Quiet Russell," Teacher scolded. "If we can hear the children, then they can hear us too!"

"Sorry, didn't mean to drop it on the giant rock," Russell apologized, glancing at the flat stone surface he had unwittingly dropped his pile onto. They all listened intently for any reaction to the noise; each was praying that it had hopefully gone unnoticed.

* * *

><p>Link and Zelda quit talking as the sound of a heavy thud reverberated in the air. "What was that…?" Zelda asked slowly, her voice trailing off as she scooted closer to Link, who drew his sword closer to him. "Probably just an animal," the hero answered, trying to sound confident. "It's getting kind of late. Maybe we should just call it a night?" Zelda nodded, and turned to the tent that Link had set up.<p>

"It's so nice out though, and the sky is so pretty! I almost don't want to sleep in there," said the Princess, frowning slightly. Link shrugged. "Then we don't have to. We could just set sleeping bags near the fire, and sleep there. It doesn't look like it'll rain, so I think we should be fine," he suggested. Zelda nodded excitedly. "Yeah, let's do that!"

Throwing the remains of their meal into the fire, Link entered the tent and dragged out their sleeping bags. He placed them side-by-side a safe distance from the burning coals and laid down on one, sighing softly. Zelda smiled and lay down beside him, turning onto her back so she could watch the star-lit sky. She noticed another plume of smoke rising into the sky a ways away, but disregarded it. _Maybe these clearings aren't as unknown as we thought,_ she pondered. _Oh well._

Link slipped his hand into hers, and she smiled softly. She hadn't realized how much the day had tired her out until the exhaustion hit her body like a wall. Feeling like she could fall asleep at any moment, she turned over and gave Link a soft kiss, putting as much appreciation as she could behind it. Link finally broke it and smiled caringly at his beautiful girlfriend, putting his arm around her as she cuddled closer to him. They gently rested their heads together until sleep finally claimed them both.

* * *

><p>Link arose early the next morning, blinking slowly. He was facing the sky, and could make out that the sun was just about to break the horizon. He rolled over to look at Zelda, who was still sleeping peacefully. Link simply watched her for a few minutes, listening to her slow, deep breathing. He finally noticed that she was in her sleeping bag, and with a jolt realized that he was as well. <em>We must have gotten cold at some point and climbed inside them. Not that I can really remember doing so… <em>With a shrug, Link slowly crawled out of his, so as to avoid waking his slumbering girlfriend.

He stood up and stretched, his joints popping. He strolled over to the fire pit and stirred up the ashes to get the fire going again. He would cook cucco eggs for breakfast and start packing up the camp. The boy sat on a log as he rubbed his eyes. He would love to stay out with Zelda for another day, but that would be bad in the long run. The kingdom's princess couldn't just disappear for two days, and he was needed for some supply transfer as well. It was hard to have spare time when you were two of the most famous people in the entire country.

Once the fire finally got started again, Link got to work frying the eggs on a pan. The smell eventually woke Zelda from her peaceful sleep, and she smiled as she breathed in the tasty scent. Rising from her sleeping bag, she walked over to Link and sat down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Morning," she mumbled softly, and Link chuckled. "Not much of a morning person, are you?" he joked, and she shook her head with a small smile. Link grinned and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Breakfast is ready," he said cheerily, and he gave the Princess her eggs.

She murmured her thanks, and they ate in silence as they tried to wake up. After they finished, Zelda let out a fairly big yawn and shook her head. "Time to head back?" she asked, and Link nodded. They both rose and got to work cleaning everything up.

Packing up took significantly less time than setting up did, and in twenty minutes they were finished. They loaded everything back into the passenger car, and Zelda changed back into her dress while Link put out the fire. Then, after taking one last look around the camp, the couple turned to each other and shared a quick kiss before boarding the Spirit Train and heading back for Hyrule Castle.

* * *

><p>In half an hour's time, Link pulled the train into Castle Town's station. Oddly, the town wasn't up and bustling yet, which suited the children just fine. They got off the train and simply stood there looking at each other, before Link pulled Zelda into a hug. They stood there for a few minutes, simply enjoying the peace of the moment, before the green-clad hero leaned in and kissed the Princess. She smiled and responded in kind, and they shared a brief passionate moment. They finally broke apart, and Zelda rested her head against Link's. "We definitely need to go camping again," she said softly, and Link nodded.<p>

"Next time we'll stay out for more than a day. We'll make it a real camping experience," he promised with a wink, and Zelda's heart raced. She couldn't wait for that day to come. For now though, she just wanted sleep. "I'm still really tired. How about a nap before you go?" she asked hopefully. Link closed his eyes, sighing slowly. "A nap would be great. I was going to get that other stuff later anyway," he answered tiredly while gesturing toward the passenger car, and Zelda smiled. Grabbing his hand and linking her fingers with his, they smiled at each other as they slowly walked toward the castle.

* * *

><p>As the Royal Couple walked toward the castle, the Troublesome Trio watched from a window a floor up. They had risen at sunrise and packed to make sure they were back before the other two left, to make sure nothing seemed out of place. Alfonzo yawned widely while covering his mouth. "Well, that was definitely fun. We should really go out camping more," he said to the other two, who both nodded in agreement. "And longer than a day, that's hardly camping," Teacher added. "Though will we be able to trust those two if we're gone for four or five days?"<p>

"Sure we will. They're responsible, mature kids," Russell nodded confidently. The other two turned to look at him. "How do you know?" Teacher asked suspiciously, and the captain cracked a grin. "I might've been watching them for a bit when I was out collecting wood last night," he responded slyly. Alfonzo's eyes widened while Teacher whistled slowly. "No wonder you were gone for so long," the latter said, suddenly understanding how it could've taken more than half an hour to get firewood.

Russell nodded, still grinning. "Hey, I was bored! But like I said, there's nothing to worry about." Alfonzo nodded. "Well, you'll have to tell us what all they did that you saw. Now, I don't know about you two, but I really need a cup of coffee. Shall we mosey down to the kitchen and discuss what the couple does in private?" the conductor asked, and the other two nodded in agreement as they walked down the hall.

Russell suddenly shouted out, "Last one there unloads the train!" With that, the three men dashed down the hall to the kitchen, yelling the whole way.


End file.
